Unarmed sailor guards elementary school

Presence causing mixed reactions

Following the Connecticut school shooting, some police departments have beefed up patrols.

In Elizabethtown, officers watched as students approached the school, but they weren’t the only ones on standby.

It was the last day before the holiday break at East High Street Elementary School. There was still excitement in the air, but it’s hard not to notice that the flag was not as high in the air. It’s lowered to half-staff in honor of 20 kids, the same age as the kids at this elementary school.

“I was watching these kids come out yesterday and they were so happy. I don’t see how somebody could have done something like that,” said Brian Knepp, Elizabethtown.

“I’m just a little emotional, obviously,” said Paula Tobias, a parent.

Though Friday, it wasn’t just the tragedy that was making parents emotional; it was one man, a veteran, a volunteer, doing something out of the kindness of his heart.

“[I’m doing this] to help them feel safer about going to school,” said Knepp.

Knepp served two years in the Navy. He has relatives in the Elizabethtown school district but knows no one at the school, at least not before now.

“Sir I would really like to thank you for what you’re doing out here. My kids mean the world to me and I feel like they’re a little safer with you here,” another parent said when walking toward Knepp.

He stands guard from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. He is unarmed, ready to risk his life, but feels he can hold his own.

“Ah I can handle it,” said Knepp.

He’s not the only one in uniform here, but he’s the one you wouldn’t expect and some teachers are grateful.

“Is there anything we can do for you? Can we get you any food, coffee, anything like that?” one teacher asked Knepp.

School leaders haven’t been as welcoming though. Knepp started out right in front of the school, but they asked him to get off their property so now he stands across the street.

“I understand them not wanting him on their grounds, but I think him standing here is just a wonderful thing that he’s doing,” said Tobias.

The district issued a statement saying, “while certain ideas may seem like excellent prevention measures to some, these same ideas may cause concern to others.”

“It’s understandable with everything that happened…it’s a strange person standing on school property,” said Knepp.

So Knepp has backed off, but he’s not backing down. He plans to come back for a few days after the break.

“There are 20 kids in Connecticut that won’t come home for Christmas. I want to make sure everyone at this school goes home,” said Knepp.

Knepp, who is 25, just graduated with an associate degree. He hopes to be a correctional officer, and one day a police officer.